Surname Balz - Meaning and Origin
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Balz: What does the surname Balz mean?
The last name Balz is of German origin and is derived from the word 'balz,' meaning bold. This name would have originally been chosen to distinguish someone who was particularly daring or courageous. The Balz surname is also thought to have been taken from a medieval German name related to the Latin word 'balteus,' meaning belt. This may have denoted someone who was a belt-maker or soldier.
The Balz family name is thought to be associated with a place in Switzerland, located in the Canton of Ticino. It was possibly bestowed upon those who lived there or who were from there. The name first emerged in records in the mid-13th century when one Ulrich Balz was recorded in 1357, in the Bavarian city of Regensburg. This was followed by the recorded birth of Henricus Balz in 1427 in Konstanz.
Today, the Balz family name is quite rare, with people bearing it scattered all over the world. It still carries its original meaning of boldness and courage, and is a reminder for its descendants to lead a life of fearlessness and strength.
Order DNA origin analysisBalz: Where does the name Balz come from?
The last name Balz is most common today in the German-speaking parts of Europe, particularly Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The surname originated in Switzerland in the Middle Ages, and then spread to surrounding countries.
In Germany, there are approximately 11,000 people with the Balz surname, making it the 377th most common last name. The highest density is found in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg, which houses two-thirds of all Germans with the surname Balz. Across Austria and Switzerland, there are several small pockets of concentration, but they are much less numerous than in Germany.
The Balz surname is also somewhat common in immigrant populations in the United States, mainly due to the significant number of German immigrants who moved to the country in the 19th and early 20th century. Today, there are just over 7,000 people with the Balz surname listed in the US, putting it somewhere in the 1,000th most common last name in the country.
Overall, the Balz name is most commonly found in the German-speaking countries of Europe, with small pockets in Austria, Switzerland, and the US.
Variations of the surname Balz
Balz is a surname of German origin, and it has several variants, spellings and surnames which share the same origin. The most common variants of this surname are: Bals, Baulz, and Baules. Other variants of the surname Balz are Bhålz, Baules, Bales, Bawles, Bawlz, Bhalz, Balzsz, Balltz, Bal24, and Bhalz.
Surnames that share the same origin as Balz include Baus, Bausch, Bausche, Bahl, Bahls, Bail, Bal, Balls, Balse, Bolf, Bose, Pahl, Pahls, and Paul.
The spelling of the Balz surname can also change depending on the country or language. For example, the surname “Balz” is often written as “Baltz” in English or “Bälz” in German. Similarly, the surname “Baus” might be spelled “Bausch” in Germany or “Bause” in France.
The spelling of the surname Balz may also change depending on the region and language of the region in which it is used. For instance, in Czech Republic, the Balz surname is usually spelt as “Bálz”. In other German-speaking countries, the surname may sometimes be spelled as “Ballz” or “Bahls”. Similarly, in Poland, it is usually written as “Bałz” or “Báłz”.
Generally, the Balz surname is related to the word “bauen” which means “to build” in German. Thus, the Balz surname is most likely derived from the occupation of an ancestor who built homes or other structures.
Famous people with the name Balz
- Gustav Balz: German entrepreneur andBegin founder of the Palais Vest department store in Chemnitz.
- Hans-Joachim Balz: German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union.
- Seweryn Balz: Polish footballer and midfielder who currently plays for Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała.
- Alfred Balz: German soldier and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
- Marcel J. Balz: Swiss fencer who represented Switzerland in the 1952 Summer Olympics.
- Robert Balz: Swiss-American physicist and director of the Swiss Neutron Program at the Paul Scherrer Institute.
- Mathias Balz: German concept artist, character designer, illustrator, and film and television director.
- Hermann Balz: German jurist and professor of civil law at the University of Tübingen.
- Grant Balz: American businessman, co-founder and CEO of Ambri, a spin-out from MIT.
- Maria Balz: German athlete, a long-distance runner who has competed internationally since 2014.